On the Campus of: Online (USA)

Great Books & Big Ideas Online will explore world literature, the classics, philosophy, and more.  Writers like Sophocles, Homer, Shakespeare, Italo Calvino, Elizabeth Bishop, W. E. B. Du Bois, and Derek Walcott are just some of the many who are likely to be included in this summer's readings.

Students experience college-style seminars, engage in lively discussion, and enjoy summer camp fun with other literary-minded students. Incredible mentoring from our talented program assistants helps students connect socially and thrive academically.  Amazing guest speaker events, open mic night, and hangout time too!

Every day balances time for academics, mentoring, friendship, and activity breaks to snack, stretch, and move. Daily classes run from 12:30pm – 5:00pm Eastern (New York).  This is 9:30am – 2:00pm Pacific.  If these times do not work for your time zone, please see our programs timed for Asia.

New curriculum and a wide variety of readings each week. Join us for one or more weeks and add Writer's Workshop too.

Programs for rising grades 6-8 and 9-12. Learn more about Great Books Literature and Discussion Programs and see the schedule for a typical day.

Our Writer's Workshop Online is a welcoming space for beginners and advanced writers alike. Students work with our expert faculty of professional writers and university writing instructors and come away with more advanced skills, new ideas, a brimming portfolio, and a refined sense of their own voice.

Each day begins with a seminar focused on technique.  Students cultivate writing skills like voice, time, style, vivid description, and more. Creative writing prompts and exercises make practicing new techniques fun.  Small group workshops give students the opportunity to further develop skills.  High school students choose an area of focus - fiction, non-fiction (essay writing), or poetry.  Middle school students explore across genres.

Every day balances time for academics, mentoring, friendship, and activity breaks to snack, stretch, and move. Daily classes run from 12:30pm – 5:00pm Eastern (New York).  This is 9:30am – 2:00pm Pacific.  If these times do not work for your time zone, please see our programs timed for Asia.

Learn more about Writer's Workshop and see the schedule for a typical day on our Writer's Workshop page.

The last week of the year is an ideal time for curious young minds to recharge by engaging in deep reading, interactive discussions, and some plain old fun! Join us for this condensed version of Great Books.  This 3-day program includes pod activities, our core literature program, and, of course, the famed Hideous Cup of Poetry too!

The winter program will be led by the same distinguished college professors and scholars who also teach our online summer and on-campus programs. Additionally, students will receive academic mentoring from our Program Assistants. Learn more.